For a Loaf of Bread
by hermioneeeeeeee
Summary: She just wanted a loaf of bread. But she got something better. Him. Dramione in the Medieval time period. Just letting you guys know, the timing is not accurate so keep this in mind.
1. Chapter 1

**For a Loaf of Bread**

 **Chapter 1**

 **By: hermioneeeeeee**

 **A/N: THIS STORY IS SET AROUND THE MEDIEVAL TIME PERIOD.**

Hermione slowly crept towards the stall. No one could see her in the crowded street. She sidestepped a suspicious person and gave them an innocent smile. With that, she snatched the loaf of bread and dashed away as inconspicuously as possible. Phew.

"Hey! Did you pay for that?" a vendor sneered.

"Yes, yes. Of course." Hermione stammered.

"I suppose you wouldn't mind if I asked what your name was."

"Penelope-"

"Don't let her lies get through to you. It's her, the one on the wanted poster." a royal guard said, gesturing to the paper in his hand. Hermione swore.

"You know that King Malfoy will want to see this young lady." the guard continued triumphantly.

"Ah, I thought she looked familiar." the vendor nodded.

"You," the guard said, pointing at Hermione, "Come with me."

Hermione darted away as fast as possible which was not fast enough.

"Ha! Nice try! Or, rather, not-so-nice try. You'll have to run faster than that, peasant!" the guard laughed, grabbing hold of Hermione's tangled hair. He yanked her the whole way to Malfoy Castle, Hermione struggling the whole time. After about five minutes of walking, pushing, and pulling, they arrived. The dark façade of the castle made Hermione gulp every time, especially now that she knew that she had been caught.

* * *

"Sire, the criminal has been captured."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Thank you. Put her into the dungeons. Now." King Malfoy drawled. The guard did some more pulling and tugging and then the two were in the dungeons.

"You are to stay in here until further notice. Don't even try escaping, nothing you can do will work." the guard said, bored. He tossed her into an empty cell and left.

* * *

"I'm so sorry! I really am! I'm trying, honestly, I am. I know you can't hear me, Mum and Dad, but I wish you could. I wish you could." Hermione cried. Her tears fell onto the ground and made dark trails in the stone. Ever since her parents had died, Hermione had been alone and a fugitive. Her house had been burned so nobody else could catch the disease, making Hermione homeless in the process. They had not made much money, all that they had had been taken away by the tax collectors, so Hermione was poor too. Nobody wanted a girl without parents to work for them so, that left Hermione with two options. Be a beggar on the streets or be a criminal and steal your way through life. Obviously, Hermione had chosen the latter and it had worked so far. She had always been able to escape, why not this time? Hermione wiped her eyes as she saw a guard come near.

"King Malfoy requests your presence."

Hermione stood by the cell door as he unlocked it. He tied her hands behind her back and led her through to the main hall. Hermione eyed the paintings, sculptures, and other fine art. It wasn't fair that the rich people got absolute luxury and the poor were starving and dying! The guard stopped abruptly, shoved Hermione into the room, and left bowing. King and Queen Malfoy were sitting upon their thrones, as well as their son: Prince Draco Malfoy. Hermione stared at them.

"Aren't you going to curtsy?" Queen Malfoy asked. Hermione obeyed and then waited for a response.

"Better." she said.

"Hermione Jean Granger, criminal accused of theft. Your parents died and left you houseless and poor. Am I right?" King Malfoy asked curtly.

"Yes." Hermione said, wishing that she could talk back.

"Your sentence is torture. However, it has not been decided when yet. You are to stay in the dungeon until a certain date has been confirmed." King Malfoy said monotonously. Hermione bit her lip. Torture? The whole village would see her die! It was horrible. Hermione tried not to cry but found it difficult. She was led back to her cell to brood over her unfortunate fate.


	2. Chapter 2

**For a Loaf of Bread**

 **Chapter 2**

 **By: hermioneeeeeee**

 **A/N: THIS STORY IS NOT HISTORICALLY ACCURATE! ALSO, I REALIZE THAT DRACO AND HERMIONE WOULD NOT BE ALIVE IN THIS TIME PERIOD WITH THE PERSON WHO MAKES AN APPEARANCE IN THIS CHAPTER (CAN'T TELL YO RIGHT NOW). PLEASE OVERLOOK THIS FACT.**

Hermione lay on the floor, wishing for sleep to come. She felt dead, even though nobody had yet killed her. Suddenly, she heard the lock click. Hermione stayed unmoving anyway. _Ahem._ A voice said.

"What do you want?" Hermione demanded, facing the wall away from the stranger.

"To get you out of here." the voice said calmly.

"Why would you want to do that?" Hermione laughed a mirthless laugh.

"You don't deserve to die. You only steal so you can stay alive."

"Why don't you just give everybody else in this awful village a bag of gold coins, then?"

"I'm not allowed to."

"Well, I'm guessing you aren't allowed to do this either."

"No, but, you first. Then I'll take care of the village."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Wait, who are you?"

"Draco Malfoy."

* * *

Hermione followed the prince upstairs silently, wondering if all of this was only a dream.

"You can stay up here tonight, my chambers are just down this hallway." he said smiling.

"Thank you very much. You didn't have to do this." Hermione thanked him.

"I know. I wanted to. I just think that it's not quite fair that the rich are too rich and the poor are too poor. Mum and dad are typical privileged royals; sometimes I think that dad just sentences people for fun. Spiteful, isn't it?"

Hermione listened to him, fascinated by his opinion of his own family. Draco fiddled with the door until it creaked open.

"Your room." Draco announced grandly. Hermione's eyes widened in awe.

"It's amazing! Absolutely brilliant!" she gushed.

"It's one of the less nice rooms here, actually."

"Never mind that!" Hermione laughed. The two talked late into the night until Draco decided that it would be best if she went to sleep.

"I'll wake you so we can get you back to the dungeons before anybody realizes that you're gone."

"Thank you ever so much. I really enjoyed our talk. Goodnight!" Hermione called as he left the room. She circled the large room again. The bookshelf was taller than she was which found Hermione wishing that she could read. The bed was wonderfully soft as Hermione flopped onto it. She gazed at the ceiling which was ornately painted with stars and moons. Hermione fell onto her pillows and felt sleep coming swiftly.

* * *

Draco crept down the corridor and unlocked Hermione's door. She looked so peaceful and elegant lying there that Draco almost didn't want to wake her. He had to, though. If he didn't, she would end up dying on the spot for 'intrusion' and 'escaping'. Draco had a mind to convince his father to leave Hermione alone. He knew that she was a wanted criminal. He knew that she was a penniless peasant. But he admired her bravery and courage. Two things he knew he didn't have. Draco walked closer to the bed where Hermione was sleeping and rubbed her shoulder.

"Hermione. You've got to wake up!" he whispered. She opened her eyes and stretched. Hermione slid off of the mattress and helped remake the bed. They then tiptoed downstairs to the dungeons.

"Draco? What are you doing?" a shrill voice asked.

"Aunt Bellatrix! Um, walking this prisoner to the dungeons." Draco said convincingly.

"I see. Carry on then, dear!" she said, walking off.

"Lady Lestrange. My aunt. She believes in keeping the royals rich and mighty while the peasants are scrambling for food and money." Draco said rolling his eyes.

"Oh. Alright." Hermione said, still walking. The two walked faster down into the cells and Draco locked her back in her cell.

"Goodbye?" he asked.

"I suppose. Thank you for everything. Even if it doesn't really matter anyway." Hermione said gloomily.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I've got this feeling that I'm going to die today." Hermione whispered on the verge of tears.

"Don't say that! Please don't. You won't die. I'll make sure of it. Now stay here and I-"

"Master Malfoy! What might you be doing in the dungeons?" a guard asked bowing deeply.

"Oh. Doing rounds." Draco answered, his voice rising at the end which made his statement sound more like a question.

"Alright. Well, this prisoner needs to come upstairs immediately. King Malfoy has made his decision." the guard said solemnly.

"Right away, then. I'll see to her." Draco said nervously.

"No need, sir. I have strict orders to take her to the Throne Room." the guard said diligently, unlocking Hermione's door. He tied her hands again and dragged her upstairs. Hermione's scared eyes met Draco's anxious ones, both thinking the same thing. Death would get another visitor today.

* * *

"Public torture via the Breaking Wheel. Takes place in half of an hour." King Malfoy said with an evil glint in his eye. Hermione started to scream and cry. She had seen three other villagers die from being tortured this way. They placed the prisoner on a wagon wheel and tied them up which automatically hurt them. Then, the torturers were allowed to hit the victim with iron bats or other hard clubs. It was terribly gruesome and horrid. Hermione was frightened and wished that she hadn't stolen anything ever. She wished that she had died with her parents. Hermione continued to sob as the guard expressionlessly dragged her back down into the dark.

Draco heard Hermione's cries of despair and desperately wanted to see her. He ran back to the dungeons to see if she had been brought back yet. She had and he could hear her uncontrollably weeping. He unlocked the door and raced inside the cell to comfort her. Hermione sat in his lap as he put his arms around her.

"The Breaking Wheel." he heard her whisper cry.

"No! For theft?" he asked outraged. She nodded and put her arms around his neck and her head on his shoulder. The pair stayed like this until it was time.

* * *

"Hermione Jean Granger, accused of theft will now be receiving her sentence of torture. Any who wish to watch may watch." announced an official. Mothers covered the eyes of their children as they led them back indoors. Hermione stood on the stage shaking as they proceeded to tie her onto the wheel. She felt tears coming as the clubs came into view. They were just about to start beating her when Draco came onto the stage.

"Wait!" he yelled. King Malfoy motioned for them to stop. Hermione's heart skipped a beat.

"Don't kill her! She doesn't deserve this!" Draco continued. Villagers paused. Time paused. Draco carried on.

"She only stole so she wouldn't die! It's unfair, the royals get everything they want and the poor get absolutely nothing! It's madness! We are all equal; nobody is better than anyone else! Father, release her please!" Draco pleaded.

"Guards, untie her! We have wrongly accused this girl!" King Malfoy spoke. Hermione breathed normally again.

"It is not theft at all that is her crime, it is witchcraft! She has bewitched my son into thinking that she is innocent! Therefore, we must burn her at stake. Her soul is impure and does not deserve to be kept alive. Fetch the pole! Fetch the poker! We are having a witchburning!" he shouted.

"NO!" Draco shouted. The guards held him back. Hermione was untied from the wheel and retied onto a pole. She stood silently and closed her eyes. The poker was hot and the sticks were set up. The flames began to crawl up and up and up... Just then, a figure came into view. It kicked the guards out of the way and released Hermione from the pole. The King demanded to know who interrupted. It didn't answer. Instead, it created a dark cloud of blackness that shrouded the whole confused village. It snatched Hermione and Draco out of the way and rolled to safety.

"Who are you?" Hermione gasped.

"Call me Rowena." the lady answered.


	3. Chapter 3

**For a Loaf of Bread**

 **Chapter 3**

 **By: hermioneeeeeee**

"How did you do that? That was fantastic!" Draco exclaimed.

"Well, your father mentioned something about witches. They are real. But not all of them are bad. At least, they don't have to be. I am and I do good things." Rowena explained.

"Like what?" Hermione asked.

"I am actually building a school with three other witches and wizards. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. A school for magical people."

"Amazing. Thank you so much for getting us out of there. Where are we now?"

"In Scotland. No one will harm you here. I promise."

"Where do we go now?"

"You can stay with me until we figure out where you can live permanently."

"Thank you, Miss Rowena. I'm most grateful."

"My pleasure." she smiled and beckoned for the two to follow her. Her house was small but charming. They stepped inside and sat down. Rowena showed them their rooms. She then left them alone and walked back into the kitchen to fix some food.

* * *

"I'm so glad that you're safe." Draco murmured into Hermione's hair.

"Me too." Hermione smiled.

"Won't you miss your parents, though?" she asked.

"Not really. They never really cared for me anyway." Draco frowned.

"Too bad. I miss mine. I've been lonely ever since they died."

"It might sound strange, but I feel lonely every day in the castle. It's just so empty and lifeless."

"I understand. I've never really had anybody as a friend or anything. I guess my love for anything just disappeared along with my parents."

"That's one thing we don't have in common."

"What?"

"Love. Mine isn't gone. Because I love you."

"I guess I lied then. I love you, too."

Hermione pulled Draco into a long kiss, neither wanting to stop.


End file.
